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Dufour Insider: 410 Grand Large

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the innovative features you’ll find aboard the 410 Grand Large at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. As you can see in the photo above, it has a wide cockpit with comfortable seats, dual helms, sturdy cockpit table with integrated chart plotter mount, coachroof-mounted traveller, and a large opening transom for maximum cruising comfort. But those are only a few of this performance cruiser’s well-though-out design elements.

The helm seats are just one of this boat’s common sense features that offshore cruisers will appreciate. Like many dual helm stations, visibility is excellent, and access to all sail controls is great too, but unlike most other boats, the 410 has these clever helm seat extensions that make it possible to have a comfortable, forward-facing seat as well.

While the forward-facing helm seat extension will probably come in handy on long calm passages when the auto pilot is steering, these fantastic, integrated helm wedges will really come in handy on long up wind legs. Anyone who has ever sailed up wind on a boat without some way to stand flat and comfortable when the boat heels will agree, these are essential, and the sturdy and oversized wedges on the 410 can be set at just the right angle.

The 410 also has the large drop down swim platform that all Dufour’s are known for. When it’s open, access to the cockpit through the walk-through stern is excellent. And the teak-topped swim platform is essentially a portable beach! Meanwhile, when the swim platform , the cockpit feels much more secure than most boats that have large, wide-open sterns that are simply protected with wire lifelines.

Another feature you’ll find on the 410 that you won’t find on many other 40-foot performance cruisers is this clever “retractable cockpit bed” that as you can see in the photos, quickly turns a cockpit seat into a full-on lounger.

And the cool thing about this design is that it retracts easily without impacting the cockpit locker access.

The 410 also strikes the balance between performance and comfort with this optional removable sprit that’s both east to rig and stow.

And as you’ll see in this video clip below, the interior is as clever and as cruiser-friendly as the on deck features.

And if that’s not enough to get you excited about the new 410, check this out.